tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post3126675651010631261..comments2018-05-19T13:58:14.699-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Navigating the World of Clipless PedalsVelouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-80084506047364126842012-04-12T14:50:25.579-04:002012-04-12T14:50:25.579-04:00So did you decide on shoes Velouria? I&#39;m about...So did you decide on shoes Velouria? I&#39;m about to start exploring this myself. Needless to say it feels overwhelming...Alice Striblinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03262425857471988498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-4137718679605000322012-04-03T21:34:32.001-04:002012-04-03T21:34:32.001-04:00It&#39;s ironic that I should come across this pos...It&#39;s ironic that I should come across this post. Until February, I&#39;d never ridden a bike with any sort of foot retention; platform pedals only, a cruiser and an old three-speed being my immediate past bikes. They were destroyed when a truck jumped the curb and mowed them down, and the rack they were on - fortunately, no one was injured.<br /><br />I replaced these with a Windsor TimeLine from BikesDirect. It&#39;s a wonderful all-around bike, but it came with clips and straps. I enjoyed having the &quot;push-pull&quot; of foot retention. It gave me a smoother stroke and made hills easier. But getting both feet into the pedals? I&#39;d get one quickly, but not the other, and I&#39;d wind up using the bottom of the pedal. Otherwise, I&#39;d keep fiddling with it until I got in - on occasion, looking down at my foot.<br /><br />I was in the middle of a ride on Sunday and found myself glancing down to line up my foot into the left pedal. Knowing that sooner or later I would do that at a very bad moment, I rode directly to my LBS, where the owner replaced the clips with very grippy platforms.<br /><br />I understand the benefits of foot retention. I&#39;ve felt them. But whether clips and straps or clipless, the distraction of worrying about your feet cleanly in and out of retention just isn&#39;t safe. I&#39;m sure I&#39;ll try it again, after lots of practice in a large parking lot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-38807887466192035942012-04-03T19:33:13.068-04:002012-04-03T19:33:13.068-04:00I love my Speedplays. The only clipless pedal I c...I love my Speedplays. The only clipless pedal I can use, having a knee problem, due to the high amount of float. It feels most natural to a normal pedal, and the double-sided action makes a much easier time clicking in, not having to worry about flipping the pedal. On a steep hill or a green light in the left turn lane, this is very important. You should really try them out. Most complaints I get regarding them are from people who tend to beat down their cleats, and thats something that cant be done with Speedplay, since half the pedal is the cleat. But as long as one understands that, there&#39;s no problem. In the future if you find your knees hurting, give them a try. You should give them a try anyways.Courtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-30075574930870823062012-03-29T15:24:15.881-04:002012-03-29T15:24:15.881-04:00The Candies are a good choice. I use the eggs on t...The Candies are a good choice. I use the eggs on two bikes and the mallet on one - they all work fine since many miles :)Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-53321538699558404062012-03-28T23:06:22.849-04:002012-03-28T23:06:22.849-04:00I can (belatedly) confirm that rumour and I am ver...I can (belatedly) confirm that rumour and I am very happy with how they have worked in those and other circumstances.<br /><br />I have a quick observation to add that I don&#39;t believe anyone else made and which relates to difficulty clipping into and releasing from SPD-type pedals. That is, the lug depth of MTB shoes varies widely, from the shallow lugs on Sidi shoes to the deep ones on Giros, two examples that I am familiar with. For a given pedal, the former allow easy entry and release along with free float, while the latter are the opposite. Or, to put it another way, one can have very different experiences with one pair of pedals while wearing different shoes.Fear rotharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06993209782692168195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-10982554683462933232012-03-28T13:48:10.280-04:002012-03-28T13:48:10.280-04:00My primary road bike is set up with power grips an...My primary road bike is set up with power grips and I love them. But I recently got the Grip King pedals for my around town bike, and followed Riv&#39;s suggestion to drill out some of the nibs and insert these tiny 3 mm screw and BOY do those things grip now: I actually have to lift my feet slightly to shift them at all. While my feet - in New Balance sneakers - are on the pedals, they don&#39;t move at all, and I can actually feel the pulling back on the downstroke. I really like them, and may put them on my mountain bike.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-31123022735842302012-03-28T12:13:29.432-04:002012-03-28T12:13:29.432-04:00Sorry you heard negative reports about Speedplay. ...Sorry you heard negative reports about Speedplay. I&#39;ll offer a positive one: I use Speedplay &quot;Light Action&quot; road pedals, and have never had any problem clipping, unclipping, or coming loose. They have lots of float. You do need to take care of the cleats, since that&#39;s where the mechanism is. In particular, the mounting screws should be snug but not tight. It&#39;s a good idea to buy some threadlocker and a few spare screws, in case some fall out. Works well for me. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-69145159410736724702012-03-28T07:01:51.249-04:002012-03-28T07:01:51.249-04:00Good for you for trying all these systems. I&#39;l...Good for you for trying all these systems. I&#39;ll throw in for SPD with the single release cleats SM-SH51(black). Most people like the multiple release cleats (silver) SM-SH56. 51 ONLY release heel out and at a fairly shallow angle, no heel lifting. 56 are multiple release angles even with heel up.<br /> I chose the 51s because that is the only way I can ride fixed gear. Cages are a non-starter, hated them...<br /> Anyway, good luck and I love reading your blog.Patricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-6000027011162385962012-03-28T00:25:33.754-04:002012-03-28T00:25:33.754-04:00A friend of mine, who rode a couple of hundred mil...A friend of mine, who rode a couple of hundred miles a week year in and year out, has broken both hips in different falls because he didn&#39;t get out of his toe clips fast enough. I&#39;d need a couple of lifetimes to do all the biking he&#39;s done, but the lesson stuck anyway. My Rivendell/MKS Grip Kings work flawlessly--I have no joint or tendinitis problems, and I can bike in whatever shoes I happen to be wearing when I walk out the door. Oh, and the Grip Kings are several times cheaper than a pair of clipless pedals and the accompanying shoes. Call me a Luddite.Scotthttp://practicalbiking.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-75071019112899340852012-03-27T22:52:28.833-04:002012-03-27T22:52:28.833-04:00more spindizzy, please!more spindizzy, please!FixiePixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12932022188247682078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-27719022637278819992012-03-27T20:38:08.077-04:002012-03-27T20:38:08.077-04:00I think it&#39;s because I have them so loose that...I think it&#39;s because I have them so loose that I can point my toes out. And right now, all it takes to get out of them is to slide my feet backwards, just like I did with the cages.<br /><br />I admit I bought the Power Grips partially to see if I was capable of moving my heel out, so that I would know if I was able to use clipless without having to go through all the trouble of getting them.Aprilhttp://aprillikesbikes.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-1065788293073409762012-03-27T15:37:03.203-04:002012-03-27T15:37:03.203-04:00FWIW, I started with one flat pedal and one cliple...FWIW, I started with one flat pedal and one clipless, just pedalling around the garden clipping and unclipping. Once I thought I&#39;d got the hang of it, I put two pedals on. <br /><br />I started with SPDs, but the method might still work.<br /><br />Again, my experience only, but my SPD-SL grip the cleat harder, and I find them slightly more difficult to clip into (hook the front, stamp down).Jacques Le Singehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03096504228750080114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-63369103047073641922012-03-27T12:52:06.725-04:002012-03-27T12:52:06.725-04:00I guess I&#39;m in the minority to say I&#39;ve ne...I guess I&#39;m in the minority to say I&#39;ve never had trouble with SPD clipless (the only kind I&#39;ve used). I set the tension to the lowest, tried a couple times in the living room, and headed out the door into traffic. I was scared, but didn&#39;t fall. I&#39;m a very cautious rider to begin with, and always watch for potential stops way on advance (a habit from also riding a fixed gear, with a brake of course). So it wasn&#39;t hard for me to predict when to unclip. <br /><br />The one thing I discovered though, in situations of emergency stops like when a bus just pulls out in front of you, the instinct of self preservation reeeeeeally kicks in. You naturally pull out hard as hell and your foot will disengage from the clip! I&#39;ve never fallen in a situation like that, even though I always think I will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-91991623830911870652012-03-27T12:18:42.020-04:002012-03-27T12:18:42.020-04:00When I was first learning to ride clipless I would...When I was first learning to ride clipless I would have nightmares about falling over in front of speeding semi trucks, almost every night for two weeks.<br /><br />I fell over way more times than I care to mention, and I&#39;m still afraid to ride with them in traffic, but I&#39;m getting there. <br /><br />My main problem these days is that I go back and forth between my road bike and my cross/commuter bike, and so if I&#39;m not concentrating on the fact that my road bike has a death grip on my feet I sometimes just simply forget to clip out.<br /><br />Good luck! I&#39;m looking forward to reading about how things go.Jessie Khttp://www.bicitoro.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-7163125218890177712012-03-27T11:17:28.474-04:002012-03-27T11:17:28.474-04:00Love those rules!Love those rules!Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-85624629041270963052012-03-27T11:14:15.356-04:002012-03-27T11:14:15.356-04:00&quot; What is the size of your foot? a smaller fo...<i>&quot; What is the size of your foot? a smaller foot will require more torque to overcome the spring mechanism.&quot;</i><br /><br />Interesting possibility. My foot is size 37-38 depending on the cycling shoe. Small, but not the smallest. There are women out there with size 5 feet (mine is size 7 using the same system) and surely some of them use SPDs?..Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-19541666740808435532012-03-27T10:34:06.327-04:002012-03-27T10:34:06.327-04:00I think we all have different definitions of what ...I think we all have different definitions of what is practical, and those definitions are based on how we dress on a daily basis and what we use our bikes for. For me an upright step-through is definitely a practical consideration. The fact that I want it to be &quot;pretty&quot; is aesthetic, sure.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-51699433727206864902012-03-27T10:14:09.117-04:002012-03-27T10:14:09.117-04:00&quot;Why, When I was a boy we bound our feet to I...&quot;Why, When I was a boy we bound our feet to IRON RODS and jammed them into the holes in the cranks! &quot;<br /><br />Luxury! You had iron rods. And cranks.<br /><br />Ours were made from bits of flint lashed together.<br /><br />(Sniff.)Corey Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381826721030941179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-43567058003973102722012-03-27T10:05:39.421-04:002012-03-27T10:05:39.421-04:00Spindizzy, you need to write a blog.Spindizzy, you need to write a blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-68082627728924445082012-03-27T09:56:43.418-04:002012-03-27T09:56:43.418-04:00I love my Shimano A520 SPD pedals. The clip side g...I love my Shimano A520 SPD pedals. The clip side gives a great connection to the bike and the platform side is grippy enough to allow for pedalling with one foot free if I think I may need it (through some towns round my way).<br />I also have the resistance backed off almost all the way and find them easy enough to get in and out of without losing that connection. I am thinking of tightening them up a little though.Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01527156042483888331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-76055776917212230002012-03-27T09:51:42.055-04:002012-03-27T09:51:42.055-04:00I am perpetually in violation of Rule #34.
http://...I am perpetually in violation of Rule #34.<br />http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-4749938975494224672012-03-27T08:10:46.267-04:002012-03-27T08:10:46.267-04:00Thanks for this post Velouria, makes me feel lot b...Thanks for this post Velouria, makes me feel lot better about my useless attempt.<br /><br />I have Shimano SPD pedals that came with my mountain bike, but never used them as I prefer wide flats and sticky 5.10 shoes. I bought some cycling shoes, fixed the SPDs to my commuter/road bike and tried them on that to help with uphills. As practiceI was in my workshop leaning on a bench to keep stable. Left foot - fine. Right foot - no way. Big feet and plenty of weight so that&#39;s not the issue. Both pedals on the easiest setting. As Velouria put it &quot;jerking the bike sideways&quot; to the right ended up with me lying in a folded portable workbench with large cuts across the back of my fingers (that&#39;ll teach me to clear a landing pad!). Off with the pedals and back in the box. 5.10s on the commuter bike now but may try some Powergrips.<br /><br />I know I gave up quickly but I really didn&#39;t like the feeling of being connected to my bike that much.<br /><br />CheersDaveUKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-36930529049242881472012-03-27T07:01:27.275-04:002012-03-27T07:01:27.275-04:00I had been using clipless pedals for 20 years unti...I had been using clipless pedals for 20 years until the day I could not get unclipped and feel over breaking my right arm. No right arm no work for three months while I waited for my arm to heal. Oh it was a clean break and did not require surgery. I was put it a cast and it healed correctly and speedily however I have changed my pedals to quill pedals and no road shoes. Oh well it could have been worse. I could have fallen over and than run over by a car.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-86132462905385630242012-03-27T06:34:39.322-04:002012-03-27T06:34:39.322-04:00From 1m 08s (for those not familiar with Basil Pol...From 1m 08s (for those not familiar with Basil Poledouris&#39;s soundtrack)...to accompany Spindizzy&#39;s speech above.<br /><br />http://youtu.be/5ZY2mRG5mzg?t=1m8sVeredictumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08340744877702755591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-19095550412743731292012-03-27T04:19:15.795-04:002012-03-27T04:19:15.795-04:00I think its possible that as you become more accus...I think its possible that as you become more accustomed to road bikes and sporty clothing your aesthetic sensibilities will change. I also think that the distinction between transport cycling and sport/fitness cycling is more a matter of aesthetics than practicality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com